Why Don't You?
- Why Don't You Talk About The Sermon? (1)
- Go on a short-term mission trip? (2)
- Serve On A Camp (3)
- Why don't you practise hospitality? (5)
- Why Don't You Sing Carols? (6)
- Why Don't You Give Generously? (7)
- Why Don't You Consider Professional Counselling? (9)
- Why Don't You Memorise Scripture? (10)
- Why Don't You Tell Someone About Jesus? (11)
- Why Don't you Enjoy Christmas? (12)
‘Why don’t you memorise Scripture?’ One answer might be ‘Why would I?’ After all, I can read the Bible or look something up on an app in a moment. That answer might be okay if the biblical command was, ‘This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read it day and night.’ Joshua 1:8 doesn’t say that. It says, ‘This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night.’ You can read the Word, but if you want the word of Christ to dwell in you richly (Col. 3:6), committing Scripture to memory is the way.
A guy in my church memorised Psalm 119. Encouraging me to do so myself, he recited it to me. As he came to verse 9 I was sold: ‘How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.’ At this point, I realised that if I was serious about my spiritual battle with sin, I had to depend on the Word to a much deeper level than simply reading it. Living in a spiritual battle, we need to be equipped, and the way we do this is by memorising the Word.
Ready for temptation
Wartime generals know the importance of preparing defences. Memorising Scripture builds up our defence in the spiritual battle by helping us to overcome temptation. When temptation comes, we can be ready by reminding ourselves of what we know to be true from the Word of God. If we rely on our Bibles falling open at just the right verse in times of temptation, we will be left disappointed and undefended.
Jesus shows us the benefit of knowing Scripture in the spiritual fight. Jesus overcame Satan’s temptation in the wilderness by bringing to mind Scriptures that he had learnt, memorised and meditated upon. Like Jesus, if we prayerfully meditate on the Word of God, committing it to memory, we can say with the psalmist, ‘I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you’ (Ps. 119:11) and defend ourselves in the spiritual fight.
Football managers know that if the defence is sorted, it strengthens the attack. Memorising Scripture puts us on the offence in the spiritual fight by deconstructing our fallen worldview and strengthening our attempt to live like Jesus.
Being changed by God’s Word
There are many things in the world that influence the way we live. As Christians, we want our lives to be influenced by Jesus. Memorising God’s Word helps us break down the unhelpful teachings of the world and teaches us to live the way God wants. The psalmist understood the need to be turned away from the ideas of the world and changed by God’s Word, ‘Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things and give me life in your ways’ (Ps. 119:37). Memorising and meditating on Scripture is a helpful way to actively follow Jesus in the spiritual battle of our daily lives by building up our biblical worldview.
Memorising Scripture can be done in different ways. You can memorise the overview of a book; what happens, what’s the point, the structure, key message and application. You could memorise lengthy passages or find 52 key verses and learn one a week. You could read one proverb each morning and think about its meaning throughout the day. You choose how, but why don’t you try remembering the truths of the Bible and be transformed by it?
